Adventure, February 20, 1922 — page 11: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

~ ~~ The Seventeen Thieves of El-Kalil 9 a Cameron jerked his head and snapped his fingers in the doorway. “‘They’d never talk so bold here if they didn’t know of trouble brewing in Jerusalem _to keep the troops occupied,” he said, and strode out as if any sort of trouble were the ~ merest commonplace. I found it utterly impossible, sitting in _ that quiet room, to believe that we were in imminent danger; but that may have been because I had no official job to lose if every- thing should go wrong. A man doesn’t fear for his life as a rule until the raw facts stare him in the face; it is economic and adminis- trative problems that cause terror in ad- vance. I thought that even Grim, who hardly ever shows more emotion than the proverbial red Indian in times of stress, looked serious. And some one else arrived just then, who took. no trouble to conceal his feelings. Aaron Cohen had himself announced by the Arab servant and followed him into the room without waiting for an invitation. He did not speak at first, but stood looking from one to the other of us with an expres- sion on his face mixed of comedy and desperation. “Nice way to bring a feller back to this place!” he said at last. ‘I went to the hotel and they wouldn’t let me in. Said they’d trouble encugh in store without me. Gave me a fine talk, they did. Pogrom—that’s the name of it! Down at that hotel they’re saying all the Jews in Hebron will be dead before morning and they’re blaming me for it. What have I done?” He faced Grim and glared at him. ‘“D’you call that acting on the level, to bring me back to this place when you knew what was in the air?” “‘You’d never have reached Jerusalem alive,” said de Crespigny. “Has that young feller been knifed?” asked Cohen, pointing at Jones on the couch. He was still spitting blood at in- tervals, so the question was excusable. “Sit down, Cohen,” Grim answered. “You're as safe here as anywhere at present. Will you have his bag brought in, de Cres- pigny? Now, Cohen, you didn’t start this trouble, but your talk brought it to a head. It’s up to us to smooth the thing out if we can, but it’s going to be no joking matter. I’m asking you to keep quiet and to help us if there’s an opportunity. Will you?” “Sure, Pll help,” said Cohen. “But what can I do?” - . . “Dunno yet,” Grim answered. “Captain de Crespigny’s in charge. We'll see.” CHAPTER II “rT hese are two good boys.” HE Scots -doctor’s prognostications were proven accurate sooner than expected. Rumor travels on swallow’s wings in that.land and almost as soon as Cohen’s bag had been carried in there came a native policeman looking pallid under the bronze, who saluted precisely and then talked to de Crespigny and Jones with the Pi. familiarity of an old nurse to children. “Word has come that the Jews in Jerusa- lem are massacring Moslems! Shall ten of us prevent the Moslems here from turning the tables on the Jews? Better let it be known at once that we intend to stand : aside. Then let them get the business over with. Afterward. will be the proper time to make arrests.” He looked like a perfectly good police- — man, but there had not been time enough yet to educate out of him Turkish notions of convenience. “Who brought the news?” asked de Cres- | pigny. “He is outside.” “Bring him in.” | -A burly-looking ruffan with more white to his eye than sheer straightforwardness begets, clad in a smelly sheepskin coat and — with a long knife tucked into his sash, was ushered in and stood uncomfortably in the middle of the room. | ‘Are you from Jerusalem?” de Crespigny asked him. Ves,”? “Since when?” “T have just come.” ‘And you left Hebron after seven o’clock this morning to my knowledge! Have you got so virtuous and truthful that you’ve suddenly grown wings?” ) “T went half-way and met three men, who said the Jews of Jerusalem have risen and havé already killed three thousand Mos- ~~ ae IPS eth AOR ee ee ~ ~ So. lems. So I came back.” en. “To talk about it, eh? c your repeating such a lie in Hebron I’ll clap you in the jail, d’ you understand me? Go home and hold your tongue.” . “Taib.”* bs ~ *All right. t a Well, if I hear of — > -comicbooks.com . - * a < <ty = fi